This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for early termination of decoding attempts, including decoding attempts associated with physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidates that are encoded using a rateless code. In some aspects, a transmitting device may encode a message using a rateless code associated with a cumulative encoding of various portions of the message, and using a device identifier or group identifier as an input to the encoding. Similarly, a receiving device may receive an encoded signal over candidate resources and may attempt to decode the signal in accordance with the rateless code and using a device identifier or a group identifier as an input to the decoding. As such, intended or non-intended receiving device may be able to evaluate whether to proceed with a decoding attempt or to terminate a decoding attempt at a relatively early stage.